Experience life in self made natural home in the mountains outside Limassol, Cyprus

Infos

• 

  Description

  I feel truly blessed to be the caretaker of this land (Koukouli) and honoured to be working together with all the plants, creatures and fungi that also make it their home. I welcome all that come here to enter into this shared experience which means that every decision or activity should take these other beings into consideration. In practical terms for most people this means working slower, observing more and really thinking about process as well as result.
  
  I moved to Cyprus 14 years ago to build my own home with my own hands, which had been a dream of mine for many years. What I thought initially would be a short experimental stay has turned into a way of life ;) While living in my weird and wonderful dome home I have been slowly regenerating the land (and myself) learning as I go, based on the needs of the place and my desire to live independently and responsibly with the lowest environmental impact possible. Residents also include three chickens (Gertrude, Lilly and Merva), Cyclops, Goldie and Saffron the fish, Ninja a black snake rarely seen but that keeps the mice on their toes and the land safe from vipers and Bella the dog that I share responsibility and time with my friend. Over time this land has also become a sanctuary for many birds and lizards :) I will do my best to share the experience and knowledge I have gained living and working on the land for the last 14 years.
  
  I am really excited by the idea of hosting someone who is hard working and likes to live mostly outside in nature, you don't need any previous experience I am happy to share with you what I have learned over the years and we can also learn and try new things together . The cultural exchange offered here is not just with humans it is also with the non human world which is a vital connection I believe many of us are missing and crave. Living here gives you the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with the natural world and also to understand how we can make our human shelters and lives in as sympathetic and considerate way as possible.
  
  With regards to human exchange Cyprus is a cultural melting pot filed with history. Here at Koukouli there are always people visiting and passing through bringing new ideas and invites. You will always be welcome to join in adventures and road trips. In my spare time I love to adventure in nature and visit other friends who also live on land and share my passion for regenerating our water ways and soils. In between excursions and gatherings I like to live quietly on the land and go to bed early . Living here you are welcomed into my everyday life and I prefer living with people who are naturally tidy and enjoy quiet reflection as well as lively discussion.
  
  All the structures on this land (Koukouli) have been hand build with low tech, low cost ecological methods. There are two geodesic domes (main house and kitchen), one sand bag dome (guest room), an outdoor workshop and compost toilet, outdoor stone shower and bath, fire amphitheatre and yoga/meditation platform.
  
  We are located in a beautiful village 20 minutes from Limassol with lots of options for hiking/biking around and are fairly central for travel throughout the island. There is a local bus stop 15 minutes walk through the village that can take you into town and then there are various other bus stops within walking distance where you can catch various intercity and airport busses with relative ease.

• 

  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général

  Home sitting
• 

  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Vie en van

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Architecture

  

  Animaux

  

  Jardinage

  

  Bénévolat

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Films et télé

  

  Ferme

  

  Culture

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Politique/justice sociale

  

  LGBT+

  

  Livres

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Plage

  

  Danse

  

  Montagne

  

  Randonnée

  

  Nature

  

  Camping
• 

  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  This is a great opportunity for anyone who loves living outdoors and is interested in permaculture and natural building. You don't need any previous experience, simply by living here you will interact and be immersed in these elements. The cultural exchange offered here is not just with humans it is also with the non human world which is a vital connection I believe many of us are missing and crave. Living here gives you the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with the natural world and also to understand how we can make our human shelters and lives as sympathetic and considerate as possible. My areas of interest and expertise that inform my life include Permaculture, syntropic planting, rotational grazing, natural building, connecting kids with nature, herbalism and regenerating our soils and water ways. Over the years of hosting I have deeply enjoyed the different knowledge and experience people have brought with them which continues to open me up to new ideas and ways of living.
  
  With regards to human exchange Cyprus is a cultural melting pot filed with history and there are many galleries, museums, archaeological sights, castles etc throughout the island but also in the nearest city Limassol, as well as many different beaches, cafes, bars and restaurants. Here at Koukouli there are always people visiting and passing through bringing new ideas and invites. You will always be welcome to join in adventures and road trips. In my spare time I love to adventure in nature and visit other friends who also live on land and share my passion for regenerating our water ways and soils. I also work with Children and am designing and implementing an integrated Forest School educational programme and have many books and am excited to discuss and share knowledge on this.
  
  You are very welcome to all the books and resources I have accumulated over the years and on off days I am happy to introduce you to others practicing permaculture and living off grid around the island.

• 

  Aide

  Most weeks don't look the same here, it is really project and season dependent and also as adaptable as possible to our shared needs and abilities but I will try to give you an idea more or less ;) So here goes: When you arrive I will settle you in here and we will go through the list of things and seasonal tasks that need to be done. We will try to balance the tasks that need to be done with a project that inspires you and you are excited to take responsibility for (if needed I will create a small workshop to upskill you to the task). There are various responsibilities around the land that need to be taken care of on a daily or weekly basis as well as seasonal responsibilities (such as olive harvesting, pruning, checking and tweeking watering systems, consolidating compost systems and then using these to mulch the land). These responsibilities will always take priority over other ongoing tasks. These things we will discuss and decide together depending on your passion and experience and the needs of the land. The tasks are mostly physical but rewarding and there is always a fair bit of organising and tidying required around the land. You need to be a self motivated individual that enjoys physical and often repetitive tasks (although you do not need to have all the technical skills or knowledge required for every task, part of the fun is often figuring things out together).
  
  I am looking for hard working, self motivated, reliable and outdoorsy individuals to help in the daily responsibilities around the land as well as contributing to ongoing projects. As well as the day to day responsibilities I would love help adding those extra touches, like handmade beautiful signs, clear stone cob and wood chip pathways and other little personal touches that show simplicity at its most appealing.
  
  Throughout 2026 I am also looking for people to land and animal sit so I may travel during school holidays. I would expect a responsible person/couple/family to arrive at least one week before I leave so I can get you settled and orientated.

• 

  Langues parlées

  Greek: Courant
  Anglais: Courant
  Espagnol: Débutant

• 

  Hébergement

  Life is lived mostly outside on the land. The accommodation is either in the small sandbag dome with a double bed and some storage space but no standing room, or in spring-autumn also camping. The kitchen is in the outdoor dome the toilets are compost. We do have a washing machine but all water goes through a basic filtering system and/or directly into the land via swales so we use soap nuts to wash clothes and PLEASE ONLY BRING NATURAL/BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS this includes toothpaste as well as shampoo/soap/bodywash. Also from May-November we have strong sun and lots of mosquitoes/other insects so you will also need to bring bio mosquito repellent (must not contain DEET) and also sun tan lotion.
  
  Food is strictly plant based and local and therefore seasonal, we all share and take responsibility for the cooking and cleaning together. I do the shopping and i am happy to accommodate requests if they fit into the budget and we all want to eat it. If you have specific special dietary requirements or expensive food needs you can provide for these yourself.

• 

  Autres infos...

  I'm happy to give you a ride into town on your days off and also to take you to my favourite beach spots around Limassol as well as show you some of the beautiful walks in the mountains and to picturesque villages in the area. We also have not so regular local busses and bikes available to borrow (although they will need some TLC first) It takes 30 minutes to cycle into Limassol and one hour to cycle back (all downhill into town and all uphill back). Hitchhiking is also easy if that is your thing, I and other guests/friends do it fairly regularly.

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  We do have good wifi here but limited areas that have power. Your guest dome is one such place (pictured) but it lacks a desk. The communal kitchen (where the router and therefore strongest signal is) has lots of surface space but is a shared fairly busy space, There are also various sitting and chilling areas around the land but there are no power points there and at the furthest places (pond and platform) the signal can be dodgy.

• 

  Espace pour garer des vans

  You can not park on site but there is lots of space on the road outside (which is slopped) and the nearby cul de sac (which is level). There is little/no shade at either points.

• 

  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  All animals would be welcome however this is dependant on their interaction with Girtrude, Lilly and Merva the Chickens, Bella the dog and growing biodiversity (various lizards, snakes etc) on the land.

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

• 

  Mes animaux

  Merva

  Bella

Sécurité du site

Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte

+19

Feedback (28)